LeBron James backs off “flame thrower” reaction to son Bryce’s Hoophall debut

Earlier this season, LeBron James and Brony James made NBA history when they became the first father and son duo to play together on the same team. But there is another James who is also carving his own basketball path. Brice Jamesthe younger son of LeBron James, is currently a junior at Sierra Canyon High School and made his Hoophall Classic debut this weekend.

The Hoophall Classic is the annual high school basketball showcase presented by the Basketball Hall of Fame, and Sierra Canyon made a showcase appearance on Saturday. LeBron James couldn’t attend Bryce James’ Hoophall debut, but he was able to watch from afar and took to social media to convey his reaction.

“Brice James is going crazy in the Hoophall Classic right now!” Flamethrower,” LeBron posted on social media. It was followed by another one post after the game in which he said: “So proud of you Maxim!!! I literally shed a tear. PROUD POPS!!”

Bryce and Sierra Canyon beat Grayson (GA) High School 60-46, and Bryce was named the game’s MVP. He finished with 16 points and shot 4 of 6 from the three-point line.

Bryce recently made headlines by announcing his decision to play college basketball at Arizona. After this, he has one more year of high school basketball.

Bryce played his first two years of high school basketball at Sierra Canyon before transferring to Campbell Hall High School, where the Holliday brothers played. He eventually returned to Sierra Canyon. His older brother Bronny played all four years of high school basketball at Sierra Canyon before playing one season at USC. Brony was the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA draft.

The younger James son is a solid prospect in his own right and held offers from Duquesne and Ohio State before settling on Arizona. It will be interesting to follow its development over the next few years. It seems unlikely that Bryce would play in the NBA, if he reaches that level, at the same time as his dad.

LeBron extended his contract with the team for two years Los Angeles Lakers this offseason with a player option after this year.

David Iapkowitz is a basketball reporter for ClutchPoints, covering men’s and women’s NBA, WNBA and NCAA basketball news. The Los Angeles native has op-eds with Basketball Insiders, SB Nation and The Next Hoops.